Much debate surrounds whether One Piece is the greatest anime of all time. Its fans have a reputation for rejecting the idea that the show might have any imperfections. However, as one of the longest-running anime series with over 1,000 episodes, it's only natural that there have been some disappointing moments along the way.
From quality issues to a botched first release in the United States, One Piece has had its fair share of problems. Many consider the anime to have pacing and repetition issues, while others' main gripe is its treatment of female characters, especially how it portrays trans women. These, among others, are mistakes that still haunt the anime today.
10 The Animation Varies In Quality
One Piece, which began airing in Japan in 1999, has seen many changes in its animation style and quality. Some newcomers to the show find that compared to today's standards, the animation of the early years has aged significantly, but One Piece has always suffered from inconsistencies in animation quality.
Many web pages and social media postings are dedicated to highlighting particularly bad screenshots from the show. Budget and time constraints plague Toei Animation, the studio responsible for adapting the manga to the screen, leading to such variation in animation quality.
9 American Release Was Poorly Done
In 2004, American production company 4Kids Entertainment picked up One Piece after the show was experiencing huge success in Japan. However, American TV networks deemed some aspects of the anime inappropriate for its young audience. 4Kids made significant changes to the show, including slashing entire arcs and censoring weapons and blood. Some changes were outright ridiculous, such as Sanji's cigarette transforming into a lollipop and guns becoming water guns.
The changes to the plot created endless problems for the show as it continued to air, leading to even more deleted episodes and scenes until 4Kids called it quits in 2006. However, the damage was done. The 4Kids version left a bad impression on American viewers and deterred many from giving One Piece a chance.
8 The Pacing Is Unreasonable
With a series as long as One Piece, pacing issues are inevitable. The anime series increasingly encountered problems as it came closer to catching up with the manga. Toei Animation's response was to slow down the anime with longer and more frequent flashbacks and recaps as well as drawing out scenes for as long as possible.
The slowness and length of certain seasons and even individual fights deter many from the anime. The sheer number of episodes can be daunting to new viewers, and some opt to skip filler content and even entire story arcs. No one can deny the anime has severe pacing issues.
7 The Plot Can Be Repetitive
Many fans have noticed patterns in how story arcs tend to play out. While every arc brings new characters, places, and revelations, the overarching story can be formulaic. Typically, the crew arrives somewhere new and becomes enraged at the actions of the local "big bad."
Fighting ensues, with Luffy battling the boss while the rest of the crew fight their separate battles elsewhere. They win, regroup, and the process begins somewhere new. Of course, there are deviations, but many of the story arcs follow this formula. Many viewers complain that the plot can be predictable and boring at times.
6 Plot Armor Saves Characters Too Often
Everyone is familiar with those moments where a beloved character appears to die and yet miraculously survives, sometimes with only a few scratches. One Piece is guilty of this far too often. There have been countless times when characters suffer so much damage that it would be impossible for them to survive let alone continue fighting.
One example is Pell, during the Alabasta Arc. To save his city from a bomb, he seemingly sacrificed himself by flying the explosives high into the air. Somehow, he survived. The illogical survival of so many characters sets the precedent that there are few serious consequences to anything. Even death is not always permanent.
5 Some Villains Are Disappointingly Underdeveloped
Many of the antagonists in One Piece are characters with complex motives and backstories. Villains such as Donquixote Doflamingo or Akainu are genuinely terrifying at times. However, some of the villains the Straw Hat pirates have encountered simply fall short.
Villains such as Vander Decken and Spandam are evil without any redeeming qualities. Vander Decken is known for being creepy toward Princess Shirahoshi. Spandam is considered to be exceedingly cruel but weak. With evilness being their main personality trait, these characters are one-dimensional and fall into the trope of the generic evil villain. This makes them forgettable to many fans.
4 Design of Female Characters Is Absurd
Artists have the right to portray their characters how they want, but in One Piece, the sexualized design of women goes too far. Almost always clad in skimpy, impractical clothing, female characters usually have gigantic breasts and super tiny waists. Ignoring the fact that their bodily proportions are physically impossible, their chest sizes alone would hinder them in most fighting scenarios.
Many fans have expressed disappointment over Robin and Nami's design changes after the time skip. Their "upgrades" only serve to further sexualize them and gratify fans. The increase in fanservice has ruined the show for many.
3 Female Characters Deserve Bigger Roles
The number of men who play central roles in the anime far surpasses the number of women. Few female characters can rival the combat abilities of male characters such as Luffy. Robin and Nami are central members of the crew and are strong in their unique ways, yet they often feel like background art to look at.
When introduced into the series, Robin was cool, mysterious, and strong. She had so much potential. Sadly, she ended up fading into the background and has not had many chances to show off her assassin skills in combat. Rarely as strong, prominent, or complex as their male counterparts, the female characters of One Piece deserve better.
2 Zoro & Sanji Treat Women Questionably
In general, Zoro and Sanji are perfectly nice to women, but they both hold strange ideas about gender. Zoro refuses to fight women seriously as he considers them always inherently weaker. This rule of his is really just sexism disguised as a code of honor.
Sanji, on the other hand, is creepy toward women and has on several occasions violated female characters' boundaries. He places women on a pedestal instead of treating them like real people. Unfortunately, the series does not seem to condemn either Zoro or Sanji's behavior. Instead, it upholds Zoro as honorable and Sanji as comedy relief.
1 The Women of Kamabakka Kingdom Were Treated As Jokes
The Kamabakka Kingdom is a safe haven for those assigned males at birth to be themselves and live as women. Unfortunately, One Piece does not take these women seriously. This is apparent from their ridiculous character designs, many of which resemble hateful anti-trans caricatures.
Sanji, who was adamant about not considering them real women, was incredibly rude toward the Kamabakka women despite them welcoming him to their home. His interactions with them were mainly for comedic effect. The series' treatment of the Kamabakka Kingdom is disappointing to many, and Western viewers in particular.